Advocate to boost Aussie cars in fleets

The federal government has appointed a top-level car salesman to push governments and businesses to increase the number of locally-manufactured vehicles they purchase for their fleets.

06 December 2012

AAP - The federal government has appointed a top-level car salesman to push governments and businesses to increase the number of locally-manufactured vehicles they purchase for their fleets.

William Angove, a former president of the Ford Motor Company in Indonesia, will be Australia's first automotive supplier advocate.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard says the advocate will aim to boost sales of Australian-made cars to government and business fleets.

She told Toyota workers and executives the advocate's role was to work with the car industry to boost markets.

Industry and Innovation Minister Greg Combet said Mr Angove had a long background in the automotive industry.

"He'll have a particular focus on encouraging Australian governments and the private sector with fleet purchases in lifting the level of Australian-manufactured vehicles in Australian fleets," Mr Combet told reporters at a Toyota plant in Melbourne on Thursday.

"Between the Commonwealth, the Victorian and the South Australian governments, about 77 per cent of the fleets of those three governments, including our own, are Australian-manufactured vehicles."

But he says states such as Queensland, Western Australia and NSW have a long way to go.

"The motor vehicle industry, which is facing very difficult times, would be significantly assisted by other governments and private fleets significantly lifting the level of Australian manufactured vehicles in their fleets."

Mr Combet said Mr Angove would also work with automotive suppliers to help them find further work in global supply chains and the diversification of their businesses, to use their technologies to find other markets.